Vehicle motion control system involving priority oversteer and understeer restraining control

A vehicle motion control system for maintaining stability of an automotive vehicle when said vehicle is in motion, by controlling a braking force applied to front and rear wheels of said vehicle, comprising:

• vehicle condition monitor means for monitoring a condition of said vehicle in motion to determine an excessive oversteer and excessive understeer;
• braking means for applying a braking force to each wheel of said vehicle, said braking means being actuated in response to depression of a brake pedal, and said braking means being actuated on the basis of an output of said monitor means and irrespective of depression of said brake pedal;
• oversteer restraining control means for actuating said braking means to apply the braking force to at least one of said wheels on the basis of the output of said monitor means and irrespective of depression of said brake pedal, said oversteer restraining control means actuating said braking means to apply the braking force to at least one of said wheels so as to cause an increase in turning radius, when an excessive oversteer occurs during vehicle motion;
• understeer restraining control means for actuating said braking means to apply the braking force to at least one of said wheels on the basis of the output of said monitor means and irrespective of depression of said brake pedal, said understeer restraining control means actuating said braking means to apply the braking force to at least one of said wheels so as to cause a decrease in turning radius, when an excessive understeer occurs during vehicle motion;
• and
• priority control means for giving priority to said oversteer restraining control means over said understeer restraining control means with respect to at least one of said front wheels, and giving priority to said understeer restraining control means over said oversteer restraining control means with respect to at least one of said rear wheels, when it is determined on the basis of the output of said monitor means that the excessive oversteer and excessive understeer occur simultaneously or sequentially during vehicle motion.